Account and record holding case and correlative sheet



v6 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. M. WILSON. ACCOUNT AND EEGOEE EQLEING G AsE AND GOEEELATIVE SHEET,

GARD, OB, TIGKET. No. 423,850. Patented Mau'. 18, 1890.

(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2. o. 1v1, WILSON. ACCOUNT AND RECORD HGLDING OASE AND GORRELATIVE SHEET,

GARD, 0R TIGKBT.

Patented Mar. 18

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(No-Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 3` n. M. WILSON. l AGGGUNT ANDEEGORD AHOLDING CASE AND GOREELATIVE SHEET,

- GARILOR TICKET.

No. 423,850.V Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

ACCOUNT AND NEEDED HOLDING CASE AND DDEEELATIVE SHEET,

GARD, 0R TICKET.

No. 423,850.` Patented Mar. 18. 1890.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet, 5.

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ACCOUNT AND RECORD HOLDING OASE AND GDR-RELATIVE SHEET,

- GARD, 0R TICKET.

No. 423,850. Patent-edlVIar. v18, 1890.

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v-(No Mode-1.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 6.

A 0. M. WILSON.

ACCOUNT AND EEGORD HOLDING CASE AND GURRELATIVE SHEET,

CARD, 0R TICKET.

No. 423,850. Patented Mar. 18. 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASSIUS ll/I.'\VILSON, OF FAIRCHILD, TVISCONSIN.

ACCOUNT AND RECORD HOLDING CASE AND CORREEATIVE SHEET, CARD, OR TICKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,850, dated March 18, 1890.

Application' iledDecember 10, 1889. Serial No. 333,280. (No model.) i

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CASSIUS M. WIILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fairchild, in the county of Eau Claire and State of lVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Account and Record Holding and Preserving Cases and in Em` ploying Separate Sheets, Tickets, or Cards in Connection Therewith; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists, iirst, in a novel compartment-case, each compartment having an individual slidingr bottoln and capable of eX- tension or contraction to the extent of capacity required for holding and preserving separated sheets, cards, or tickets, as will be here, inafter described and claimed; and it consists, second, in conjunction With a case having indiced and adjustable compartments in separate sheets, cards, or tickets in series, as a means Whereon to enter the items of an individual or a number of individual accounts or the like coming under certain alphabetical letters or indices, such sheets giving rapid and accurate information to both employer and employ as to the single and bulk transactions of a day, month, and year by a single individual of a classfall the individuals of a class, and all the individuals of all the classes, as will be hereinafteivdescrihed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of'one style of my improved account-sheet holding and preserving cases, a portion of the front board being broken away to show the construction and varrangement of the slides used in forming the compartments more plainly. Fig. 2 is atop view ot' the case, and Fig. 3 a transverse section of the same in the line Qc :1c of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a front view of the case inanother form, and adapted to sit in a corner, and having all the letters of' the alphabet on a single inclined line instead of one half on one inclined line and the other half on a reversed inclined line, as in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top view of the case shown in Fig. et. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section of the style of case shown in Fig. 1, but in this instance adapted for having the whole alphabet arranged on inclined lines on each side of the center of the case. Fig. 7 is a broken enlarged vertical section ot' a portion of the case. Fig. 8 is a broken top vienT of a portion of the case, and Fig. 9 is a section in the line x fr of Fig. S. Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a modified construction of my case, portions being broken away and section-lined to show more plainly the arrangement of the slides for forming adjustable compartments. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of Fig. 9X in the line @c2 002. Fig. .()XXX is an invertedr plan of one of the slides, and Fig. OXXXX is another modified construction of my case. Figs. 10, 1l, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 1S, and 19 are illustrations of the sheets or cards utilized in my method of rendering itemized accounts.

In the drawings, A, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, represents a case formed of' a horizontal bottom board d, a vertical back board b, and a vertical front board c. The back board has the intermediate portion of its upper edge parallel with the bottom board o, and from this portion its edge slopes downward to the ends of the case in opposite directions. The front board is made of considerable less length than the back and bottom boards, and the intermediate portion of its upper edge is parallel with the bottom board, While the remainder of said edge slopes downward in an opposite direction. This front board is of less height than, the back board.

Centrally ofthe case, from the top of the front board c to near the top of the back board b, a recess d, adapted for the reception of a ready supply of blanks or sheets, is`

formed, said recess being open at front and top, but closed at bottom by a horizontal board e, extending across the case and resting on a vertical transverse partition-board c and on the Aright and left by approximately IOO are arranged in a step-like manner, such par titious being of gradually-decreasing length as they extend out from the partition-board e and rise toward the top of the front board c of the case. The highest partition is on a horizontal plane with the upper edge ot the front board c. These partitions extend from the vertical partition e and terminate short of each other, forming an inclined stepped plane reaching to near the ends of the case, as illustrated in the drawings.

\Vithin the case thus described a series of angular slides B are iitted. Each of these slides is formed with a horizontal guidingfoot portion m, and an inclined, obliquelyset, nearly upright portion m', which constitutes the compartment portion. The foot portions of the slide nearest the ends of the case rest under a partition g and upon the bottom board a, while the foot portions of all the other slides, except the uppermost one, enter between partitions g, the uppermost one entering between the board and a partition g, as shown. The nearly upright portions 1n of the slide are as wide, or nearly so, as the case A at their upper ends and for some distance downward, but are cut away on their front edge and reduced in width in the manner shown at n, in order to partly expose the lower front corners of the sheets, cards, or tickets which are placed in the compartments formed by the rear wall of the case and the slides, and thus enable the clerk or accountant to clasp them with his fingers when he desires to withdraw them from the compartments. In constructing the case it is made long enough to leave spaces suiiicient between the upper portion of the respective slides to permit the sheets, tickets, or cards of a class of customers or records to be placed in each compartment formed by the slides and inclosing port-ions of the case;

Y and in order to regulate the sizes of the compartments set-screws, as C, are applied at the ends of the lowermost slides, the same being passed down through extension-lips, as t, of said slides, and screwed into sliding nuts t2, iitted in a T-shaped groove t3 in the bottom board of the case, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9. Vhen the slides are moved inward, the set-screws and nuts will move with the lower slides B, said screws c and nuts t2 being free to traverse grooves, as t f3. For making this adjustment the set-screws are turned back or slackened, and after the adjustment is made again turned forward, so as to hold the parts in position. By having the nearly upright portions m of the slides stand oblique to right-angle lines across the slide and inclined with respect to their hori zontal foot portions m they are brought closer to a person who sits or stands centrally of the j case, and from such a position they cau be more easily slid outward and inward; and by setting the slides in a step-like manner a greater number of compartments can be constructed within a given-sized case and can be easily adjusted to the requirement of each compartment, leaving no unutilized space. Each slide is provided with a narrow bearing-ledge yw at the junction ot its nearly upright and horizontal foot portions, and by this means one slide is kept out of contact with another, except at said ledge w, and thus the frictional bind of the slides upon one another is reduced to the minimum. This ledge might be substituted by a frictionroller hung to the slide.

It is found that the slides when made of properly-seasoned hard wood and adjusted properly in the case can be moved with the greatest ease in and out of the case, as occasion requires; but any material may be used in the construction of my case, provided it is suitable.

I have found by practice that the styles ol' case shown are the best that can be adopted for showing at the front stationary letters, and that such lett-ers, being on inclined lines, will answer for any extension or adjustment of the compartments. Further, that the com partments can be arranged to secure the greatest freedom in placing or removing the sheets, cards, or tickets by the operator.

As an equivalent modification of the arrangement of the letters or indices, I contemplate placing such indices directly upon the front edge of the foot portions of the slides, as illustrated in Fig. 9X. lVith such arrangement oi` the indices it is preferable that an index be placed, as shown, just forward of a compartment containing sheets, cards, or tickets, with surnames corresponding to such indices.

In Figs. t and 5 of the drawings I have shown a case similar to one half of the one shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3; but in this instance all the letters of the alphabet are placed near the margin oi' the inclined upper edge of the front board, and the oblique set of thc nearly upright portionsof the slide is just the reverse of that shown in the construction shown in Fig. l. This form of case is adapted for being placed in a corner of an officeroom.

In Fig. (i a case is shown similar in all rcspects in form and construction to the yone shown in Figs. 1,2, and 3; but in this in stance the number of slides on each side ot the center of the case is increased, and it is required that all of the letters of the alphabet be placed on each side of the center of the case. This form is desirable for large cstab lishments where one side is used to file the completed sheets, or in cases where it is advantageous to use numbers or other indices on one side of the center of the case and alphabet letters on the other side thereof.

In Figs. l() and ll of the drawings I have shown the front and rear sides of one of a series of sheets, cards, or tickets, the saine being designated No. l.

On this sheet daily TOO IIO

it has been seen that it balances with the ledger.

For large establishments or those having supply-stores for their employs, the special column headed Store a/c is posted to the ledger but once each month; but it is posted daily from original entry, either from clerks merchandise tickets, or the blotter, or the day-book, or the journal, as the case may be,

to the recapitulation sheets, as No. 2, (rep resented in Figs. 12,13, and 14,) which sheets are used only for this columna-that is, the one headed Store a/c. These merchandise sheets are kept by the employer for permanent record, and serve as a petit ledger from which reference can be made at any time to the original entry of the saleslnan. -At the front side of this sheet, at the left-hand corner at the top, the month-#say Septembe1"-is written, and below the same are the series of surnames belonging to,say,V class C, found on sheets such as No. 1, and on the right,oppo site each of the names, the total daily entry in figures corresponding to those headed Store le on sheets such as'No. 1, are made, and at the top of sheet No. 2 the date of the month is placed in line with each charge, and at the bottom of the sheet a total of all the charges against each'of the names of yclass C is made on the same line with the date vof the charge, and lat the right-hand end of the front side of ythe sheet the sums total belonging to the respective names are placed on lines opposite such names, and the totals of the same footedaup, as shown, thus showing at once the debit of `that class for seventeen days. Now, as only seventeen days of the month have been entered on the front side of the sheet, the sheet is turned over and the word September written at the upper lefthand corner and beneath the same. All the names found on the front side are written, and opposite the same the totals belonging` to each name are forwarded and placed, and the same footed at bottom of sheet. At the top of the sheet the remaining dates of t-he month are written, and in the same manner as on the front side, the amounts of the daily charges are entered opposite each surname belonging` to class C, and the su 1n total of each mans account carried out opposite his name, and the totals of all the daily charges for class C footed at t-he bottom of the sheet on lines right-hand lower corner of the sheet.' f The sheet being exhausted is' folded and'placed away in a compartment of my case, which in this instance would be compartment C.'

In connection with the sheets Nos. 1 and 2, a grand-total recapitulation-sheet No. 3, such as is represented by Figs. 15, 16, and-17, is employed. This sheet carries on its front side the month of September, for instance, and the letters of the alphabet or other indices equal in number to the classes of employs having accounts, a portion of the dates of the month, the total daily account of each class of employs, and the totals of the accounts of each class placed at the right-hand end of the sheet. the forwarded totals of sheet, as seen in Fig.

In like manner, as seen in Fig. 16,`

15, and remainder of these accounts for the balance of the month, are placed on the rear side of the sheet and totaled. This sheet can name begins with the letter C, his vaccount will beplaced in the compartment marked 0, and if with a letter A, in a compartment marked A, and if U, in a compartment so designated.

In Figs. 1S and 19 are represented sheets Nos.4 and 5, which are used for keeping account of stock and kinds thereof-as, for instance, lumber" on hand in a lumber-yard. These' cards, after being used in a manner as illustrated, are placed in compartments of the case A. Such cards as Nos. a and 5 might have the names of employs written upon them, and thus the delivery and receipt of stock by employes at branch offices made known to the main office daily, weekly, or at such times as is necessary, these cards showing an itemized account of the number of feet of lumber which go in and out of the yards, or the number of pieces that go in and out, and thereby keep- I oo IIO

ing the main oflice informed just how much and just what kind of lumber is on hand at each yard, and also serving to prevent fraud by showing up everything when an inventory is taken.

In using the cards for lumber record an index has to be kept the same as for a ledger, showing in which compartment the cards are contained-whether in those designated as A or B or C or D, or by otherindices-and hence there is a relation between these lumber-'record cards and my improved case A the same as when sheets Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are employed.

In the illustrations Figs. 18 and 19 the records are taken from the yard-clerks report and they act as a thorough check with respect to each kind of material which goes out' of the yard. The column to the right, headed yas per the inventory, and after that, opposite the proper date, allv subsequent receipts.

Then one sheet is lled, the balance, which shows the amount on hand to date, is carried to the ill-column on a new sheet or card. A record of about this style could be advantageously used in a great many ways in connection with other things than lumber-as for instance, in railway-shops for keeping trace of just what kind of material and how much of each kind is on hand.

The sheets, cards, or tickets Nos. l, 2, and 3 are especially for firms having a large number of employes and supply-stores, and when the month ends they constitute a monthly statement of account, and they can be so arranged by means of my improved ease that merchandise or store accounts and other items need not be posted to the ledger but once each month in total, which is a great 'saving' of 1edger-room as well as clerical labor. It will be understood from these sheets that the items and amounts of merchandise are posted each day to the sheets direct from rst entry made by the salesman, either from his mer chandise ticket, a blotter, day-book, or jour nal, as the case may be. Items other than merchandise are also posted from first entries from day to day, with the exception of credits for labor, which are posted either weekly or monthly. By this method accounts or records can be kept itemized from day today, so that when a man wishes to settle, after obtaining the amount due him for labor since last entry and entering it accordingly, the accountant can give him his statement and pay him oit.

The merchandise recapitulation-sheets are made with as little printing on them as possible in order to save valuable space, as in using the large-size case they should be exactly the size of the other sheets and not folded;

but in the manufacture of these sheets suitable column and space lines, dates, and letpracticable will be placed upon them. These sheets are used to ascertain the daily sales and make a record of the dates that each party made his purchases, so that reference can be made to original entries if it should be necessary, thus becoming a sort of petit ledger. They are also used as a check upon the statements, one being entered by one clerk and the other by another clerk-that is, the statements by one clerk and the reeapitula tion from iirst entries by another clerk. In this way mistakes as to names, items, or amounts are almost entirely avoided, as the cards are called back and checked with the recapitulation.

In cases where a large number of the elnploys require the same letter of the alphabet, two daily recapit-ulation-sheets may be provided in addition to the grand reeapitulation-sheet, which is made up from the other twenty-six and shows total sales for each day to any one class--as C, for instance. In cases where more than one daily recapitulationsheet is used it may be done by placing one above the other without transferring the footings from the first to the last one. As a convenience, where both sides of a recapitulation-sheet are employed, as illustrated, the transfer of the iirst half of the month to the other side of the sheet may be effected by simply folding over the end of the sheet and copying from first side.

Instead of folding the sheets as shown in Figs. 14 and 17, they might set into a case with their headings down, and to prevent the sheets falling out the depth of the compartments should be increased and the bottoms of the same inclined slightly downward toward the back board, and this can be effected by adjusting the height of the back board and oi' the nearly upright portions of the slide and extending the front board a greater distance than is shown below the bottom slides, thereby giving the whole case a slight backward pitch.

The partitions y might be constructed of narrow longitudinal rods or bars united at their outer ends by corresponding cross rods or bars, their inner ends being fastened to the vertical partition e', or simply side ledges, as g5, Fig. QXXXX, for support of the slides might be formed on the inner sides of the rear and front boards for the slides to move upon 5 or the partitions g and ledges g5 w might be dispensed with and the bottom portions of the slides come in contact with each other. This would not alter in the least the principle of the invention as far as the arrangement of the slides for forming adjustable compartments successively above and in advance of one another is concerned.

For the purpose of improving the appearance or ornamentation of the case, and also simplifying its construction, the notched angular slides described may have the width of their bottom portions decreased and longitudin al moldings applied on their front edges, said moldings making said bottom portions just about equal in width to the space between the front and back boards of the case A, and the moldings n, Figs. 9*, 9, and OXXX, being of a greater depth than the thickness of said bottom portions and terminating downwardly, flush with the bottom surface of the transverse ledges w of the slides, whereby they are capable of entering, along with the bottoms of the slides, into the case A, between the front and back boards. There may be a top transverse ledge m6, Figs. 9X, 9m, and 9X, on each slide, similar to the bottom 'ledge w, said ledges being applied on top, at

the inner ends of the bottom portions of the slides, and for strengthening the slides when made of light material narrow longitudinal strips mi, Figs. 9X, 9m, and 9, may be applied on the under side of the bottom portions of the slides, said ledges extending downwardly flush with the bottom edges 0f the moldings and coming in contact with the top surfaces of the said bottom portions of the slides. I regardthis modification as an IOO IXO

equivalent of my hereinbefore-described invention, notwithstanding that when it is adopted the case A would not require to be provided with the partitions g, as the longitudinal moldings and the upper and vlower ledges, as w, and vthe longitudinal strips, if used, would serve as means for separating the major portions of the horizontal surfaces ot the bottoms of the slides from one another,

and thereby lessen the friction.

What I claim isl. An account and record holding case having compartment-forming slides, and comprising bottom, top, and rear boards, and a front board of less length than the back and bottom boards, and having an inclined or sloped upper edge, and said case having its compart! ments open on frontside and closed at bottom, substantially as described.

2. An account and record holding case hav` ing compartment-forming slides, and comprising slide-supporting partitions or guides arranged in a steplike manner, bottom, top,`

and rear boards, and a front board of less length than the back and bottom boards, andy having an inclined or sloped upper edge, and said partitions or Vguides being terminated at their outer ends on an incline plane correspending substantially to the incline plane or slope or upper edge of said front board, and said case having its compartments open on front side and closed at bot-tom, substantially as described.

3. A case for holdin gfand preserving sheets, cards, and tickets, comprising stepped partitions and angular slides, the foot portions of said slides being arranged between the said partitions, and said case having its compartments open on front side and Vclosed at bottom, substantially as described.

4, A case for holding sheets, cards, or tick-y ets, comprising rear and front boards of different heights, and. with sloping upper edges, stepped partitions and angular slides, and said case having its compartments open -on front side and closed at bottom, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with a case for the purpose described, and provided with stepped partitions and angular slides, and having its compartments open on front side and closed at bottom, of indices for indicating vthe respective slides, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with angular slides arranged successively above and in advance of one another, which are open on front side and closed at bottom, indices for indicating` the respective slides, arranged on an inclined line or lines, substantially as described.

7. A case for the purpose described, comprising nearly upright parallel portions which form compartmentfpartitions that are adjustable and stand obliquely across the bottom of the case, substantially as described.

8. A case for the purpose described, comprising parallel nearly upright portions which side and closed at bottom, substantially as described.

l0. A case for the purpose described, constructed with adjustable and extensible compartments on different planes, said compartments being open at front and about as wide as the distance from the inner surface of the 1 back board to the outer surface of the front board of the case, except at pointsabove said front board, where they are reduced in Width` to expose a portion of the mass of sheets, cards, or tickets Wit-hin the compartment, so that they maybe clasped by the fingers for withdrawal from the compartments, substant-ially as described.

1l. The lowermost slide of the series, provided with 'an adjusting set-screw, in combination with the adjusting bottom of the case of requisite length to permit the necessary adjustment, and with the other slides of the series, substantially as described.

l2. In conjunction with a sheet, card, or ticket holding ease having separated compartments indiced, adjustable separate sheets, cards, or tickets in series in rendering accounts or records, s'aid sheets, cards, or tickets having 'suitably-spaced lines and Words marked or printed on them, and the first sheet of the series having on it the debit and credit account of an individual of va class, and a second card of a series having on it the daily and total accounts of anindividual of a class and the daily and total accounts of an entire class for a month or less period of time, all in such manner that an itemized debit statement of account, and a credit statemen t,with balances struck, is instantly shown, substantially as described.

I3. In conjunction withl a sheet, card, or ticket holding case having separated indiced i ,adjustablev compartments, separate sheets,

cards, or tickets in series in rendering accounts or records, said sheets, cards, or tickets having suitably-spaced lines and Words marked or printed on them, and the iirst sheet of the series having on it the debit and credit account of an individual of a class, and the second sheet of a series the daily and total accounts of separate individuals of a class and the daily and total accounts of an entire class for a mont-h or less period of time, andthe third sheet of a series having the initial letter of all the classes and the daily and total amounts ot' debits of each'and all the classes, substantially as and for the purpose described.

14. A case for the purpose described, comprising two sets of stepped partitions and two IOC sets of angular reverselymoving slides, and

indices arranged in reversely-inclined lines, substantially :1s described.

l5. A case for the purpose described, cour prising,r two sets of stepped partitions, two sets of angular slides, two sets of indices arranged on reversely-nclned planes, and recess (I, substantially :is described.

1G. A case havingadjustableangular slides forming; compartments, which are open at 

